Music

Western Virginia fiddler Shannon Wheeler has released a debut EP album. It's called Growler, and features 4 fiddle tunes (2 of them originals), and a vocal. Wheeler is an active road and session player in the Virginia/North Carolina scene, and has

Béla Fleck has never been one to stick to stereotypes or common expectations for the banjo, or for banjo players in general. He has fans in the bluegrass, new acoustic, jazz, classical and modern funk worlds. Some follow him and

The latest edition of eBULLET, the official newsletter of the Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club, is a special issue remembering Doug Dillard both for his contributions to the show as part of the Darling Family, and for his larger

While finishing up his next album, a Ralph Stanley tribute project, Don Rigsby is working as a hired gun this summer. In addition to shows with Big Country Bluegrass, Don has signed on for a string of dates with The

We are going to take a break this week from our IBMA poll questions to start a series of queries about the evolving landscape of recorded music sales. These days all kinds of numbers about album and CD sales are being

The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band have spent much of the past two weeks recording at Gat3 studio in North Carolina, completing a new album which will be released soon on the Gat3 label. They tracked 14 new songs with the

The latest album from the singing Bankesters, Looking Forward, hit on June 1. As always, it features Phil and Dorene Bankester and their trio of talented daughters, Melissa, Emily and Alysha. Or, I should say, this project features the trio. Their earlier

Charlottesville, VA singer and songwriter Kathryn Caine has released her latest album, When I Was His Wife. It contains 12 of her new songs, along with bluegrass/country accompaniment from Andy Thacker on guitar and mandolin, Tom Hogge on banjo, Darrell Muller

This remembrance of Doc is a contribution from Sandy Rothman, a former Blue Grass Boy and member of the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band. Sandy is a recognized multi-instrumentalist with a long history on the bluegrass scene, with a pair of

Funeral services for Doc Watson will be held this weekend in Deep Gap, NC at the Laurel Springs Baptist Church. Doc's body will lie in state on Sunday (6/3) from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT), with the funeral to follow. Laurel Springs Pastor Larry